carnage in damascus at least thirteen people have been killed and dozens wounded in a huge car bomb explosion on a busy square spreading terror and panic throughout the syrian capital. shooting itself in the foot u.s. media report suggests that secret american payments to the afghan government ended up in the hands of drug barons and even taliban insurgents have been battling against for decades. no reprieve for a year a new figures show eighty thousand jobs lost last the crisis union space of a month more than twenty six million workers amount of work. in the u.k. could be about to boost its military presence in the gulf states the critics say british troops would. already troubled region.

this is r t with all the very latest breaking news i'm carrie johnston a deadly explosion has rocked the syrian capital a car bomb went off near the former interior ministry building in central damascus at least thirteen people have been killed and seventy are reported injured local correspondent. who witnessed the blast joins us on the line live now from damascus what did you see and what does the area look like right now. into the now we have it's official now we are paid

a fee and we entered the. office along with some of them with. something. different in the mosque but. the area had. damages. because. we have many shops with. many plans. meaning in the middle of. india. going out it has moved many many people i have witnessed many people. with. some of some of them some of them as normal causing people to. go to them and what you can tell them and do they seem to be any similarities between this attack and one yesterday.

i think. is one of the marks. anywhere. from one of the things the prime minister. said thinking leads one being can only get that they have a. big bomb inside the market so it is very kind. of the. taking the gazans food today it's even going to. be a. ok for now thank you to them i was in the reporting that. well for more on this we're joined by journalist neil clark now worth thanks for joining us here on r.t. this blast comes almost exactly twenty four hours after a similar explosion yesterday

a frightening pattern emerging here would you say absolutely i mean it's absolutely appalling what's going on at the moment i mean yesterday we had a convoy attack we had to carry on the russian passenger plane and what this really should show grep was getting more and more desperate and they don't have overwhelming public support we don't have majority support so they getting more and more violent and more and more wild and i think the sort of sums up how desperately needs really. and the bomb again went off in a very crowded area so what or who was the target of this blast when it's quite clear that their aim is to spread terror amongst the population in damascus to terrorize civilians and it's absolutely shameful that these people are being backed by my country the u.k. by france or by the west ours these are terrorist attacks let's call them what they are they haven't been condemned by william hague or francois hollande or john kerry i mean i think that's absolutely appalling cities are taking place in tallahassee riyadh or anywhere else in the country which was a western i mean they would be roundly condemned but they're not and it's quite

appalling that these so-called rebels with western help trying to bomb our way to power in syria killing innocent civilians spreading terror among population and i think that the likes of william hague who got blood on my hands i'm afraid we mention the rebels there and on monday they immediately accuse the government of faking the blast do you think today's explosion confirms or refutes this but it completely refutes it i think because i mean it's quite absurd to think that the syrian government would be blowing up members of the government itself and putting bombs in crowded areas because what why would you want to do that or i mean it's quite clear that what's going on is an al-qaeda dominated uprising out in syria a minority uprising by radical islamists and it's interesting isn't it that if you were to say that the syrian government is behind these bombings in the western media then that's fine except of course you say that the us government was behind in our eleven attacks you've been out of the crack conspiracy theories and so it's ok to say the syrian government studies things but if we say the u.s. government is capable of course like operations then that's fine and that's

completely wrong because there's a lot of speculation hasn't there that western money has been ending up in the hands of extremists but what do you make of that in the context of this blast well it clearly has isn't it because of course these blasts cost money you know that you know the bombing the guns the weaponry etc where would you have the shake come out of qatar a few days ago saying how his government was going to give the rebels any help it needed including arms. the british government has been sending aid to the rebels and so i think the people who are funding these terrorists have got responsibility they've all been rather he's no good you're saying oh you know they're not even getting it and so i think that the responsibility for these lies with countries like qatar with saudi arabia we took it with western powers who were you know chanting these people ok just in broadcast in the or clark thank you for those views today actually much more syrian conflict is becoming a security headache for the entire region to put out of syrian government forces from the golan heights is a major concern israel as to how this militant sort of forcibly moving into the

lawless area right next to its border. and the u.s. has for years been calling for a crackdown on corruption within afghanistan's government but it turns out to behind the curtains american officials may have played a leading role in shadowy deals that media reports suggest that millions of dollars in cash or regularly shipped to the afghan leadership in return for u.s. influence in running the country were present when it karzai has confirmed the shipments but claims that their scope has been exaggerated the details now from r.t. is going to shift again. both u.s. and afghan officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to the new york times and said that for many years the cia had paid tens of millions of dollars in what they say was ghost money to the office of president karzai the afghan government has received billions of dollars of u.s. taxpayers money but the officials say that the secret cash went to fuel corruption in the country the cia apparently delivers the cash every month in suitcases

backpacks and plastic shopping bags. much of the money goes to paying off warlords and politicians many of whom have targeted drug trade in some cases the taliban the result of that appears to be that the agency empowers the same networks that american diplomats on law enforcement agents say they're trying to dismantle president karzai was asked about the goetia money and knowledge to see even get he basically dismissed the payments as no big deal saying those are monthly small amounts used for various purposes such as the cia declines to comment another u.s. official has been pointed to say the biggest source of corruption in afghanistan was the united states afghan officials quoted in this new york times report said a number of senior officials in the afghan national security council or individually on the cia's payroll there was an interesting story with the administrative chief of the accounts of mohammad. he was arrested in two thousand

and ten in connection with the sprawling american led investigation that tied together afghan. taliban financing and the opium trade president karzai having released within hours and the cia then helped persuade the obama administration to back off its anti-corruption push possibly because they didn't want the cia connection discovered in the alleged corruption scheme because that would be a story of a dog chasing its tail in washington. well antiwar campaign richard becker says the billions of dollars that washington has already poured into afghanistan have been no way help to the country's people it's really amazing when you look at the cia operations in afghanistan which really began that in two thousand and one of the one nine hundred seventy nine nine hundred eighty s. the cia largest operation and entire history was carried out in afghanistan and the

building billions of dollars that have flowed and yet today in two thousand and thirteen afghanistan ranked exactly last so it really indicates what about the corrupting influence that the cia interventionists head over all of these years and continues to have today and they're spending a vast sums of money the real the us military budget this year overall will be over a trillion dollars and yet we have today in the united states virtually half nearly forty percent of the population according to the government itself is now in the living in poverty or as low income and the interest of the people have been sacrificed on the altar of militarism. all media reports suggest most of those greenbacks fall into the wrong hands afghanistan raising questions over president obama's claims that the money is vital aid to rebuild the war torn country its controversial issue and we want to know what you think about where the funds are

really getting we're going to have a look at what the answers might be from what you've said so far today. it is coming up on the screen and there we go so far well there we go seventy seven percent quite a lot think voting is just bribery really to achieve u.s. goals they've got ten percent message has a purpose assistance which helps afghanistan and seven percent secret operations of corrupt. and flooding terrorists with counterfeit cash just six percent will keep voting we want to know what you think. it's technology innovation all the developments from around we've got the future

covered. international at the very heart of moscow.

the british think turn believes the country should send more troops to authoritarian arab states in the persian gulf region this even though the u.k. military has been downsized its more than two hundred u.s. role the united services institute conclusions come as a surprise to many for such a move would further destabilize the troubled region. reports. really see is a world renowned defense think tank that credited with really influencing government honestly so these recommendations what they're talking about in the paper to be taken lightly the paper talks about the fact that it might be seen might be considering stepping up its military presence in the gulf states especially next year after they pull out from afghanistan now that would be quite a departure from forty years ago when they actually shut down a string of defense bases in the gulf states and to say that might be considering

that the on the rest taking place in the arab states at the moment they might want to preempt trouble if they're based in the gulf states at the moment on the other hand there is of course the problem of some of the human rights records of some of the countries that they might be dealing with that might not be too good for britain's image and of course. talking about returning to the middle east in terms of military presence might force some observers to talk about retiring to imperial powers and imperial aspirations so to talk about britain's presence in the gulf states. i'm joined in the studio by chris bambery he's a political analyst ques the recent paper says that increased military presence in the gulf would be justified considering the instability that we're witnessing in the region do you think an increased british military presence in the gulf can only instability rather than be stabilized what is the instability in the gulf states

the moment eternally to the gulf states what we're talking about is a democracy movements we've seen in particular because else we're going to intervene against a democracy movement demanding human rights and santa nation nor real when she when he told her it's ability is around and what we're seeing at the moment i think is a so from sanctions against iran and posed by. you is also an american word should build up which britain is engaged in in the persian gulf which is deliberately aimed as part of attempt to build put pressure on the iranian regime what about the question of money we know that britain is very strapped for cash the arab states are swimming in it if you've got a cash cow why not well david cameron and all farmers have been looking at the big breaking ball ribbon potential asking for money and selling anything they can return for that actually the very core ties between us and britain with some forty million tonnes of building went once was a trade between the two guitars of supply of britain of the actual gas and i think

it would be kinda developing not to ease a dependence on russia because of tension between britain and russia as well but i think we have got to put in a context of this is a return to us of an imperial policy which has been spearheaded by the united states with britain trillian behind and therefore decision to a increase any military presence in the gulf as it was instability. chris bambery thank you very much for your comments in december the u.k. chief of defense staff said that after afghanistan the gulf will become the u.k.'s main military effort and it looks like this report is proving that theory correct especially if according to resee there could be a lot of money to be made in the gulf states for the british government. on arrests could soon move closer to its rules border because it is false damascus to thousands of troops from its part of israel occupied golan heights to fight rebels in other parts of syria or certain areas vulnerable to jihadists to everything

prospect israel finds only one of the results is really going to score points. technically israel and syria are still at war but paradoxically for the last forty years the occupied golan heights have proved to be relatively peaceful until now. i believe seventy six. ok it's. it's open no one you know and you can feel. the jews are religious minority very distantly connected to islam were split by the un mandated ceasefire border in one thousand nine hundred sixty seven when israel occupied the golan heights since then those who live on the israeli side of the fence have been paying close attention to the events on the other side recently their reasons for worry have multiplied as news of a major reconnaissance mission by syria broke in early april the information came

from western diplomats who said there was some redeployment of syrian troops in the area was perhaps the biggest one in more than forty years some say that as many as twenty thousand highly trained soldiers have left the golan heights leaving behind what could be described as a security vacuum which could soon be filled by none other than the syrian rebels who have already tried taking shots at the druze villages in the golan heights. the druze say islamists fighting in syria target them as followers of a cult. and dizziness. some of the. very very. very sure of them you know just because on top of that jihad is militants operating in syria seem to be melding a helping hand from within israel itself the israeli internal security service shin bet said instances of israeli arabs sneaking into syria to fight alongside radical

islamists have increased in recent months something they insist. that has almost never occurred before they go and decide not just to join the syrian opposition but to join the islam is the actors and more specifically the lawfare and the more radical part of this the lobby which like the a lot for france which as we know i've recently pled alliance to al-qaeda so it's the same reasons there are driven people in the past to join jihad in iraq even the un peacekeeping force finds the situation rather unsettling. it's always possible everywhere yet as the sounds of gunshots from the border with syria get louder and seem to move closer to home is relief issues are already showing signs of getting close to hitting the panic button saying they're ready to head back militarily if the situation in the golan heights becomes critical and that may mean yet another war for israel in the golan heights in a ghost r.t. . the latest employment numbers are in for europe and they aren't incurring the

twenty seven nation bloc is bleeding jobs with the rate up across most of the european union in march according to your a step for spain in greece are the worst affected both approaching one in three unemployed trailing them or other crisis hit european states especially in the south and east in total some twenty six million people of working age are unemployed youth joblessness is roughly double the overall rate for your. report so it takes more than just numbers to see the true extent of the damage. the unemployment rate in the years old has recently reached a record twelve percent of for those aged twenty five and below in countries like spain and greece that number is as high as more than fifty percent with very little signs of any economic improvement for those who are looking for a job that search is no longer just about trying to find work many are now trying to leave their home countries. like niccolo wriggles e

a biology graduate from italy now working initial quality in brussels and the situation in italy was actually awful because the only thing i was able to get is a really short contract for like free mouth for six months with absolutely no possibility of growing out of your laboratory and from most to most of them were totally unpaid because you can't really fink of your future he says it wasn't a walk in the park in beijing either as many companies require a working knowledge of both french and dutch a barrier that may be hard to overcome but perhaps still more attractive for some of that going back home to rich. in two thousand and twelve. and the person the person of young people who immigrates from italy grew up by thirty forty percent in two thousand and twelve i really don't know what will be

interesting for you and it's not just the citizens feed the kids foreigners would come to europe to see new opportunities started they will businesses building their lives have now will also change their minds fred ziona this meant leaving greece all the way back to her native ecuador and while homesickness was the initial reason for the move she has no regrets about making that decision the six one can also help the man many from his decided to leave greece and move to countries like germany and switch. and but the greeks who stayed behind are saying that the situation is really difficult when for instance servicemen he used to get one and a half a year and just one hundred m. house has been open for two years even though it's still new i believe we have very good prospects for the future. something she says just isn't possible than here right now to trend. the figures in countries like ireland some people argue that

a whole generation has left and perhaps feel good you know. i don't think so i rather stay here for a day or so since our team brussels. the debt crisis engulfing europe maybe starting to literally cost lives i could ever experienced a major study say that as many as ten thousand people have committed suicide due to financial ruin they would still clear of oxford university who's researching impact of austerity economics on public health as politicians are risking more than they realize. what we've seen in studying recessions over the past century and the focus on the present crisis is that recessions hurts but when politicians respond with deep cuts so vital social supports they can turn those recessions legal in the worst case we see breeds after rate cut its malaria prevention budgets we saw the return of outbreaks that the country had kept under control for the past four

decades the same hiv infection spiked by over two hundred percent at a time when the h o b budget was caught similarly we've seen across europe austerity breed a series of epidemics from suicide to poor on access to health care to turkey well south korea even a fever so far europe's leaders have been and denial of the human costs the stereo policies that have been pursued across europe and soon and north america what this quest for recently passed and what we need to do is take into account the health effects that i had on the policies had. been rhymin like any other drug trial would have been discontinued because of it to outside of us. well to some other international headlines out in libya gunmen have reportedly surrounded the justice ministry in the capital tripoli there's a modern the dismissal of all members of colonel gadhafi is former regime from

government posts trucks carrying anti-aircraft guns up near the building in a separate siege of the foreign ministry also calling for members to go he's now in its third day. because of a lot of people have been found guilty of human organ trafficking and courts handed down the maximum sentence of eight years to the head of an illegal clinic in pristina and the transplants took place. his accomplices created impoverished organ donors in eastern europe and central asia and clinic was closed in two thousand and eight after a turkish man whose kidney had been removed collapsed a phonecall. coming up the syrian refugees who found a new home in southern russia you're watching r t. i

made is that going to be a big money in. which is a cultural contemporary i don't know logically the auditorium so joining me to all know it c m a the second as we bring you the glitz the glamour and the best of the best in the performing arts one thousand marines. you know sometimes you see a story and it seems so you think you understand it and then you glimpse something else you hear or see some other part of it and realize that everything you thought you knew you don't know i'm sorry is a big picture. more

news today violence is once again flared up. these are the images the world has been seeing from the streets of canada. giant corporations are on the day. my name is off long. i am from syria i head toward the sea of. war and just i don't go to see my friends and my family. my name is to show. i came here because i won't frighten children to live in peace and to be killed russian citizens. and where i am ones or somebody i'm coming toward. leave here because that is

why all. my name is or not to come back to the lovely country when would we say. my name is sama. i'm planning to stay in russia. to bring life. until just a year ago never have thought of leaving damascus and building a new house in a small village in the tiny republican russia and the land of his ancestors when war broke out in the caucuses one hundred fifty years ago his grandfather and hundreds of thousands of a dog is. sent to turkey jordan syria and other countries in the middle east now war has brought a twist of fate. to return to his ancestral home i have many of my brother.

i have. but i prefer to kim here because i believe the big. maybe in the coming tween team is not now. many syrians came to this village in search of peace and other local people helping rebuild the house. people here.